With Devolution, life can only get better

The annual Devolution conference starts today in Meru. Apart from the usual pomp and colour associated with such occasions, it offers the country time to assess the effectiveness of this system that forms a key pillar of our Constitution promulgated in 2010.

As reiterated by this newspaper before, the devolved system of government is changing the landscape of rural Kenya in ways many did not anticipate.

History has a few sobering lessons for the country about the centralised system.

For many years, Kenyans were accustomed to a system of government that 'sat' far away in the capital.

In Nairobi, policy wonks drew up policy papers for places they could not locate on the map leading to misalignment of resources. Consequently, certain areas became more developed than others.

Accountability was absent and Parliament didn’t enjoy the independence to hold the Executive to account.

Over time, the citizenry got used to a system that propagated exclusivity and entrenched negative ethnicity and tribalism. That system thrived on a free-for-a-few mentality and corruption became a way of life.

Devolution has given that back to them. In Turkana, more students have gone back to school because of bursaries provided by the county.

In Machakos, people walk shorter distances to get medical attention.

Kisii town has a 24-hour economy after the installation of solar lighting while Mombasa County has introduced a feeding programme for primary school pupils. The first caesarean birth since independence was carried out in Mandera and virtually, all counties have ambulance services to address cases of medical emergency.

Many acknowledge that Devolution offers a fresh breath of air. Meanwhile, fears that corruption has found its way to the counties must be addressed.

On the whole, life can only get better for Kenyans because of Devolution